Lab-Created Diamonds – A Marvel In The Precious Stone Community b
The minerals and precious stones are reducing in quantity, and people have found a way to create something unique. Lab Grown Diamonds have become famous due to their clarity and perfection. Not only is it safer, but an affordable alternative element featuring the same beauty.
No longer would people have to go on a diamond expedition to the Argyle Deposit. The country offers artificial diamonds that look as beautiful as a natural diamond.
If you find this intriguing, read on to know more.
What are Lab-Grown Diamonds?
These diamonds are unique because it is synthetic and cultured by people. Due to its accuracy, the diamond industry has accepted it entirely.
In its essence, these precious stones resonate 100% with its name. They are grown in a fully-equipped lab. Most of the labs in Australia creating such gems have cutting-edge technology. Due to such high-end machinery, the natural process of diamond making gets replicated.
Even if people make it artificially, the lab-created one has the same mined diamond quality. It is chemically, optically, and physically similar.
The Similarities in Lab-Grown and Natural Diamonds
Various people consider these diamonds to be real, mainly because they are. The lab can recreate the natural process in a controlled environment using carbon.
It means that natural and lab-grown stones have the pure crystallised carbon form. Anatomically speaking, both are in the identical category regardless of their origin. These gemstones are crystallised carbon in the isometric cubic system.
The qualities and characteristics are identical:
- The density for both is 3.52
- The chemical composition remains C
- Dispersion in both the diamonds is 0.044
- Both have a Cubic crystalline structure
- You will find a 2.42 refractive index in both
At the same time, the MOHS (Hardness) remains at 10 for artificial and natural diamonds. In short, these diamonds are both identical and have safe functionality.
Manufacturing Steps of Such Diamonds
Unlike natural diamonds, lab-grown diamonds go through an artificial process, but the process remains similar. Besides, two methods work efficiently in a lab-based environment:
High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) Process
This process is a method where a small diamond seed gets placed in a carbon piece. Then the process uses the belt, cubic, or split-sphere press method to pressurise the carbon. (Approx. 15 million/inch2)
Along with this, the manufacturer exposes the carbon to a heat of about 2,700oF. The heat and the pressure combine to melt the carbon, forming a beautiful diamond layer on the seed.
Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) Process
The initial process of planting diamond seeds in carbon is the same as the HPHT diamond. It then gets inserted into a sealed chamber housing 1,400oF with carbon-rich gasses. The gases get ionised through laser technology that breaks the molecular bond.
Deciding to invest in lab-grown diamonds is a wise one. It offers similar beauty but also has unparallel clarity like the original diamonds.
While mined diamonds are becoming a luxury, artificial diamonds have grown popular. It is accessible and affordable due to the straightforward manufacturing process. Similarly, it comes with better quality without affecting the environment.
So, are you ready to buy diamonds made in the lab using a small piece of diamond and carbon through HPHT or CVD processes?
